Trump tipping point

Trump tipping point could be upon us: Column

Edwin Edwards, the flamboyant Louisiana politician who was investigated and indicted on multiple occasions, once boasted, “The only way I can lose this election is if I get caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy.” That was in 1983  the year he won the third of his four terms as governor.
Even if you didn’t like what Edwards had to say, you had to admire his willingness to offend media monitors and refined opinion. He was a little like Donald Trump with a career that defied the conventional rules of politics. Trump, like Edwards, routinely says and does things that should destroy his political prospects. He could be about to self destruct  — but we've said that many times before.
What is the secret of Trump's staying power? 
First, there is the authenticity defense. Trump is not a politician; he tells it like it is. He's authentic, and authentic people speak their mind and tweet from whatever portion of it happens to be awake and active in the middle of the night. You can't expect Trump to be politically (or factually) correct. This claim has had a remarkable currency in the 2016 election cycle.
Second, there is the sarcasm sanctuary. Trump didn't mean whatever ridiculous thing he said yesterday; he was just trying to be provocative or funny. Of course, if you are trying to be humorous, as Edwards often was, it helps to have an actual sense of humor. When there are no laughs, the sarcasm claim is hard to make and can only be used on a couple of occasions.
Third, and probably most important, there is the strategic use of innuendo and attribution. Trump didn’t say that Obama was a Muslim, he just thought there were

that needed to be explored. He didn’t actually know if Ted Cruz’s father was in league with Lee Harvey Oswald, he just wondered about that